Upcoming and Updates

Ah boy... it's been a whole 10 days.

I'm finishing up the last 2 patterns for the rest of my mini dress collection for the grand opening of the Etsy store. I severely needed a break on Tuesday to just not think about anything (I still work 40 hours a week, mind you!). Today was also full of running errands, sourcing fabric for my own personal fall jacket. Preview: I decided I'm making this one from BurdaStyle with color adjustments, minor detail adjustments.

It's obviously not because I cannot make jacket patterns (see New Militia jacket) it's just that they're time consuming, especially when this jacket is only for yourself. I also may be addicted to PDF patterns now that I tested one out for another independent designer. You'll see what I made when the pattern is released but it's reallllly cute!

In case anyone missed it on Facebook, here is a photo of Tatiana wearing the Sweetheart Dress from the current Manic Pop collection! She says she'll be taking more photos of her in it soon but she says she loves wearing it and it's very comfortable.

Chicagoans: I will also be doing a show with an internationally-known camera company soon with my fashion design work. August 10th, but further details will be forthcoming! Keep an eye on the Facebook page about it. If you can't make it, there will be photos of this event too. :)

So, things to look forward to soon:
1.) New fall coat project (this one replaces my previous Pierre Cardin idea I had. It's quite similar though!) Bought fabric online today for it.
2.) Sunrise panel dress I'm starting on today. (This also replaces the Ana Flounce dress style from the line sheet - I like this idea better!)
3.) Photos of a garment from a PDF pattern I tested for an independent designer.
4.) Scallop dress is still coming.
5.) Top project idea in mind with the mod faces fabric I also found online.

And while you're waiting for all this.... a photo of me with KITTENS!

Not mine. My cousin's. I have 2 furbabies already. 2 is enough!

Comments

Latch Hook Rug Update

A little under a month ago I received all of my supplies to take on one of the biggest long-term projects I have ever taken on - a self-designed latch hook rug. I don't know why, but I am clearly nuts. So beginning today I am posting photos each month, (preferably on the 1st of each month) progress of this gigantic shag rug. See how I started it here (scroll down past posting of my $10 dress). This is a photo of it today: Yes, I used the candelabra for scale. Haha. This rug is really soft and is fun to run your fingers through. It doesn't look like much was accomplished, but though the number of packages we have gone through of pre-cut latch hook rug yarn already I have calculated that we've used over 2500 strands for this ie.) 8 packages. I also just ordered 10 more packages of lime green since that's what I ran out of first and 6 more packages of straw yellow. There is still quite a bit to go, but you see the blue row squares? Each of th

DIY Trapeze Dress

I'm a pretty big fan of tent dresses (or trapeze dresses - call it what you want). They're simple, easy-to-make and you can have many variations of them. These are a fun style to wear for spring and summer! See this DIY from a Good Housekeeping Crafts book from 1971 - photos at the end of my own trapeze top from a while ago! (Bear with me on the photos here - this book is quite cumbersome and hard to scan.) Applique patterns, in case you wanted the dress to look EXACTLY like the photo. (But why?) How to cut the fabric efficiently. (This is actually pretty important cost-wise for you - especially with something this big.) Using pattern instructions from my patternmaking book from college, I created this swingy trapeze top a bit ago. I used sweater fabric from a thrift store find for the collar of this top. I also opened up the back on the pattern to have a diamond shape. It can easily be belted like in this photo fo

Shingo Sato and the Art of Transformational Reconstruction

So I got really excited on my break at work today when I got an email from Burda about a webinar they're doing on a pattern technique called "Transformational Reconstruction" developed by Japanese designer Shingo Sato. I hadn't even heard of Shingo Sato until today let alone his design technique but oddly, it's sort of the path I'm going down with my designs anyway as seen with the Sunrise Panel dress as well as the Petra Dress and the pattern making involved in those designs. What I did there is perhaps a "light" version of Sato's where the darts and shaping are hidden in the seam lines. If you've been reading this blog long enough, you know that my design aesthetic focuses largely on color blocking, unusual seam lines, and a love of anything psychedelic. Note: All photos stolen from the internet. Sorry! I'm super-excited. Let me know if it's yours and I'll take it down. Shingo Sato teaching. More designs using

Manic Pop